Material handling apparatus with vehicle track for reducing vehicle damage

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus are provided for delivering items to a plurality of storage locations is provided. The system includes a plurality of storage locations. The storage locations may be positioned to provide an aisle and a plurality of delivery vehicles may be operable within the aisle to deliver items to the storage locations. The system may include a track that the guides the vehicles to the storage locations. A reorientation assembly may be provided for re-orienting the vehicles relative to the track to reduce misalignment between the vehicles and the track.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/672,275 filed on Feb. 15, 2022, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C.§ 119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/150,909 filed onFeb. 18, 2021. The entire disclosure of each of the foregoingapplications is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to material handling systems and, moreparticularly, to systems that utilize a plurality of storage locationsin one or more storage racks. More particularly, the present inventionrelates to such material handling systems that utilize one or moreautomated delivery vehicles for delivering items to the storagelocations

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of automated storage and retrieval has significantly improvedthe efficiency of material handling. For instance, in the orderfulfillment application, automated storage and retrieval systems havesignificantly reduced the time required to retrieve the items requiredto fulfill a customer order. A variety of automated storage andretrieval systems are currently known. One exemplary type of systemutilizes one or more storage racks, a plurality of vehicles and a trackfor guiding the vehicles to the storage locations on the racks. Thevehicles deliver items to storage locations or bins where operators mayremove the items from the storage locations to fulfill orders. Overtime, the vehicles may tend to jam or become damaged from interactionwith the track. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a systemhaving a track that minimizes wear and damage to the vehicles thattravel along the track.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect, the present invention provides a materialhandling apparatus that includes a plurality of sort locations forreceiving items. The system may include one or more vehicles fordelivering items to the sort location. The vehicles may travel along atrack. The track may include a section for improving interaction betweenthe vehicles and the track. In one embodiment, the section includes aportion that reduces engagement between driving elements on the vehicleand the track.

Optionally, the vehicle includes a drive mechanism that engages thetrack and the track includes a section that allows portions of the drivemechanism to disengage portions of the track.

The track may optionally include a profile configured to positivelyengage the drive mechanism of the vehicles.

According to a preferred embodiment, the track optionally includes teethor recesses that engage mating elements of the drive mechanism of thevehicles.

While the methods and apparatus are described herein by way of examplefor several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in theart will recognize that the inventive methods and apparatus for sortingitems using a dynamically reconfigurable sorting array are not limitedto the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood thatthe drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limitembodiments to the particular form disclosed. Rather, the intention isto cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the methods and apparatus for sorting itemsusing one or more dynamically reconfigurable sorting array defined bythe appended claims. Any headings used herein are for organizationalpurposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the description orthe claims. As used herein, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense(i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense(i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include”, “including”, and“includes” mean including, but not limited to.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary and the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiments of the present invention will be best understoodwhen read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which the samereference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to thesame or like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a material handling apparatusincorporating aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the material handling apparatus illustrated inFIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is schematic side view of a track system of the material handlingapparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the track systemof the material handling apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of a vehicle of the material handlingapparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the vehicle illustrated in FIG. 5 .

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a reorientation assembly ofthe material handling apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a front assembly of thereorientation assembly illustrated in FIG. 7 .

FIG. 9 is a second enlarged perspective view of the reorientationassembly of the material handling apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a rear assembly of thereorientation assembly illustrated in FIG. 9 .

FIG. 11 is an enlarged side view of a segment of the reorientationassembly illustrated in FIG. 7 .

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the segment illustrated inFIG. 11 .

FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of an alternate reorientationassembly of the material handling apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of a front assembly of thereorientation assembly illustrated in FIG. 13 .

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary plan view of the alternate reorientationassembly illustrated in FIG. 13 .

FIG. 16 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 16-16 in FIG.15 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Some portions of the detailed description which follow are presented interms of operations on binary digital signals stored within a memory ofa specific apparatus or special purpose computing device or platform. Inthe context of this particular specification, the term specificapparatus or the like includes a general purpose computer once it isprogrammed to perform particular functions pursuant to instructions fromprogram software. In this context, operations or processing involvephysical manipulation of physical quantities. Typically, although notnecessarily, such quantities may take the form of electrical or magneticsignals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, orotherwise manipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principallyfor reasons of common usage, to refer to such signals as bits, data,values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, numerals, or thelike. It should be understood, however, that all of these or similarterms are to be associated with appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels. Unless specifically stated otherwise, asapparent from the following discussion, it is appreciated thatthroughout this specification discussions utilizing terms such as“processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining” or the likerefer to actions or processes of a specific apparatus, such as a specialpurpose computer or a similar special purpose electronic computingdevice. In the context of this specification, therefore, a specialpurpose computer or a similar special purpose electronic computingdevice is capable of manipulating or transforming signals, typicallyrepresented as physical electronic or magnetic quantities withinmemories, registers, or other information storage devices, transmissiondevices, or display devices of the special purpose computer or similarspecial purpose electronic computing device.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-6 generally and to FIGS. 1-2 specifically, amaterial handling apparatus is designated 10. The system 10 may take anynumber of forms that incorporate a plurality of storage locations. Inthe present instance, the system includes a pair of spaced apart storageracks 30, 32 with an aisle 35 formed between the storage racks. Aplurality of automated delivery vehicles 200 may operate within theaisle 35. In particular, the delivery vehicles 200 may travel along atrack 100 that is positioned in the aisle, as described further below.Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 7-16 and described in greater detailbelow, the system 10 may include one or more mechanisms for improvingthe engagement between the track and the vehicles. For instance, thetrack may optionally include a section for re-orienting the vehiclerelative to the track.

In an exemplary system illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 , the material handlingapparatus includes an optional station for feeding items into thesystem. This station is referred to as the induction station 20. Theinduction station 20 may determine an identifying characteristic for theitems to be fed into the system. The identifying characteristic can beany of a variety of characteristics, such as a product number or UPCcode. The identifying characteristic can be determined manually, such asby an operator. However, in the present instance, the induction stationincludes a scanning station 22 that may include a plurality of scanners,such as optical scanners in the form of a bar code scanner, digitalcamera or otherwise. The induction station may include a conveyor forconveying the items past the scanner or the operator may manually scanthe items before they are fed into the system.

The induction station 20 optionally includes a conveyor such as aconveyor belt or a plurality of rollers for serially conveying items toa loading station where the items are loaded onto vehicles 200. Aplurality of items may be loaded onto each vehicle. However, in thepresent instance, each item is loaded onto a separate vehicle and thevehicle then delivers the item to one of the storage locations.

Although the configuration of the induction station may vary, details ofan exemplary induction station are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 10,494,192.The entire description of U.S. Pat. No. 10,494,192 is herebyincorporated herein by reference. Additionally, it should be noted thatthe induction station is not a necessary element and that aspects of theinvention can be utilized in a system that does not include an inductionstation.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-4 , the details of the storage assembly willbe described in greater detail. The system includes a plurality ofstorage locations 40 for storing items so that the items may beretrieved. In one configuration, the items are delivered to the storagelocations by a plurality of automated vehicles 200. Additionally, thesystem may be configured so that the items can be retrieved from thestorage locations by the automated vehicles. Alternatively, the storagelocations may be used to accumulate items so that an operator or otherautomated retrieval device can retrieve the items from the storagelocation. For instance, a storage bin 45 may be located in each storagelocation 40 and the system may deliver items to the different storagebins to fulfill customer orders. Once the system has delivered all ofthe items to a particular storage bin that are required for an order, anoperator removes the storage bin 45 from the storage location 40 andreplaces the full storage bin with an empty storage bin.

The storage locations may be arranged in any of a variety oforientations. For instance, referring to FIGS. 1-2 , the system includestwo opposing racks, a front rack 30 and a rear rack 32. The racks 30, 32are spaced apart from one another, forming an aisle 35 between theracks. Optionally, the racks 30, 32 may be connected by a plurality ofcross brackets that interconnect the racks. In particular, a pluralityof top cross brackets may extend between the tops of the racks and aplurality of cross braces may extend between the bottoms of the racksthereby connecting the racks and maintain the racks spaced apart toprovide the aisle 35.

The track 100 may follow any of a variety of configurations dependingupon the application. One exemplary embodiment is illustrated in theFIG. 3 , which includes a closed loop having a plurality of columns.Similarly, the system may be configured as a series of rows connected byvertical tracks. Additionally, the system may be an open track ratherthan a closed loop. Therefore, it should be understood that the loopconfiguration illustrated in the figures is only one example and thatthe track may take any of a variety of forms.

Referring again to FIG. 3 , the track 100 optionally includes ahorizontal upper rail 114 and a horizontal lower rail 116. A pluralityof vertical legs 112 extend between the upper horizontal leg 114 and thelower horizontal leg 116. During transport, the vehicles travel up apair of vertical legs from the loading station to the upper rail 114.The vehicle then travels along the upper rail 114 in the direction oftravel identified by arrow Ti until reaching the column having theappropriate bin or destination. The vehicle then travels downwardlyalong two front vertical posts and two parallel rear posts untilreaching the appropriate bin or destination, and then discharges theitem into the bin or destination area. The vehicle then continues downthe vertical legs until reaching the lower horizontal leg 116. Thevehicle then follows the lower rail back toward the loading station.

Referring to FIGS. 2 & 5 , the track 100 includes a front track 105 anda rear track 110. The front and rear tracks 105, 110 are parallel tracksthat cooperate to guide the vehicles around the track. In the discussionof the track, the front and rear tracks 105, 110 are similarlyconfigured opposing tracks that support the forward and rearward wheels220 of the vehicles. In particular, in the present embodiment the reartrack 110 is mirror of the front track 105. Accordingly, a descriptionof a portion of either the front or rear track also applies to theopposing front or rear track, except as stated otherwise below.

The details of the track may be substantially similar to the track asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,861,844. The entire disclosure of U.S. Pat.No. 7,861,844 is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the track 100 includes a drive surface 120 thatpositively engages the cars to enable the car to travel along the track.The drive surface 120 may be any of a variety of configurations thatengage drive elements on the vehicles. In particular the drive surfacemay be configured to mate with or mesh with drive elements on thevehicles. One such example of a drive surface 120 is a series of teeth,forming a rack that engages the wheels of the cars as described furtherbelow. Similarly, the track may include a series of recesses or detentsthat cooperate with corresponding elements, such as a sprocket or otherelement that projects from the wheels. In this way, the term “positivelyengaging” refers to engagement between the drive surface 120 and driveelements of the vehicle 200 that impedes the drive elements from slidingalong the track 100.

Optionally, the track may also include a guide surface 122 in the formof a generally flat surface adjacent the drive surface 120. For example,the drive surface 120 may extend approximately halfway across the trackand the guide surface 122 may extend across the other half of the track.As shown in FIG. 4 , the drive surface 120 may be formed on an innerwall of the track and the opposing outer wall may be a generally flatsurface parallel to the guide surface 122 of the inner wall.

As described above, the track may include a plurality of vertical legs112 extending between the horizontal upper and lower rails 114, 116. Anintersection may be formed at each section of the track at which one ofthe vertical legs intersects one of the horizontal legs. For instance,each intersection may include a pivotable gate 125 having a smoothcurved inner race and a flat outer race that has drive surfaces thatcorrespond to the drive surfaces 120 of the track. The gate 125 maypivot between a first position and a second position. In the firstposition, the gate 125 may be closed so that the straight outer race ofthe gate is aligned with the straight outer branch of the intersection.In the second position, the gate 125 may be open so that the curvedinner race of the gate is aligned with the curved branch of theintersection.

In the foregoing description, the system 10 is described as having aplurality of output bins 45. However, it should be understood that thesystem may include a variety of types of destinations, not simply outputbins. For instance, in certain applications it may be desirable to sortitems to a storage area, such as an area on a storage shelf.Alternatively, the destination may be an output device that conveysitems to other locations. Accordingly, one type of destination is a bin;a second type is a shelf or other location on which the item is to bestored; and a third type of destination is an output device that may beused to convey the item to a different location. The system may includeone or more of each of these types or other types of destinations.

Delivery Vehicles

Referring to FIGS. 5-6 , the details of one of the delivery vehicles 200will be described in greater detail. Each delivery vehicle 200 may be asemi-autonomous vehicle having an onboard drive system, including anonboard power supply. Each vehicle optionally includes a mechanism forloading and unloading items for delivery. An exemplary vehicle isillustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,861,844, which isincorporated herein by reference.

As discussed further below in detail, the vehicle includes a mechanismfor driving the vehicle along the track 200. The drive mechanism mayinclude any of a variety of elements. In the present instance, the drivemechanism includes a plurality of wheels 220 that engage the track 100.

Additionally, the vehicle 200 optionally incorporates a mechanism forloading an item onto the vehicle and discharging the item from thevehicle into one of the bins. The loading/unloading mechanism 210 may bespecifically tailored for a particular application. For example, thedelivery vehicle 200 may include a platform onto which an item may beplaced. The platform 210 may be a stationary platform and the system mayinclude elements operable to load items onto the platform and unloaditems from the platform. Alternatively, the platform may be moveable.For instance, the platform may be one or more horizontal belts. Thebelts may be selectively operable to convey an item onto the vehicle.Similarly, the belts may be selectively operable to discharge items fromthe belt. In the present instance, the loading/unloading mechanism 210is illustrated as one or more conveyor belts that extend along the topsurface of the vehicle. The conveyor belts are reversible. Driving thebelts in a first direction displaces the item toward the rearward end ofthe vehicle; driving the belt in a second direction displaces the itemtoward the forward end of the vehicle.

The vehicle may include a conveyor motor mounted on the underside of thevehicle to drive the conveyor belts. The conveyor belts may be entrainedaround a forward roller at the forward edge of the vehicle, and arearward roller at the rearward edge of the vehicle. The conveyor motormay be connected with the forward roller to drive the forward roller,thereby operating the conveyor belts.

The vehicle 200 includes a plurality of wheels. As shown in FIGS. 5-6 ,each of the vehicles may include four wheels 220: two forward wheels andtwo rearward wheels. The terms forward and rearward refer to the trackin which the wheels ride as opposed to the direction of travel for thevehicle. Specifically, the forward wheels 220 a, 220 c ride in the fronttrack 105, while the rearward wheels 220 b, 220 d ride in the rear track110.

The wheels 220 are mounted onto two parallel spaced apart axles 215, 216so that two of the wheels are disposed along the forward edge of thevehicle and two of the wheels are disposed along the rearward edge ofthe vehicle. Specifically, wheels 220 a and 220 b are mounted on leadingaxle 215, whereas wheels 220 c and 220 d are mounted on trailing axle216. Axle 215 is referred to as the leading axle because when moving ina horizontal direction, the vehicle typically moves in a direction inwhich axle 215 is leading and axle 216 is trailing. However, it shouldbe understood that the vehicle may be reversed so that axle 216 becomesthe leading axle and axle 215 becomes the trailing axle. Accordingly, itshould be understood that the terms leading and trailing do not imply arequirement or limitation on the orientation of the vehicle and itsdirection of travel.

Each wheel 220 may comprise a drive element 222 that cooperates with adrive surface of the track. The drive elements may be any of a varietyof elements configured to mate with the drive surfaces 120 of the track.For example, the drive elements may be rotatable elements such ascogwheels or sprockets. In the present instance, the drive elements 222are gears, such as pinion gears having a plurality of teeth.

Each wheel optionally includes a guide element in addition to the driveelement 222. The guide element guides the wheel along areas of the trackin which the track transitions from one direction to another direction.The guide element may also carry some of the load of the vehicle.According to one embodiment, the guide element may be a roller such asan idler roller 224. The roller 224 may be coaxially with and positionednext to the drive element 222. The idler roller 224 may engage the trackto roll along the track while the drive element 222 engages the drivesurface 120 to drive the vehicle along the track.

The drive element 222 may be fixed relative to the axle onto which it ismounted. In this way, rotating the axle operates to drive the driveelement to drive the vehicle along the track 100. Optionally, the roller224 may rotate relative to the axle onto which it is mounted so that therollers do not provide a driving force driving the vehicle forwardly.

Optionally, the drive elements of the vehicle are configured so that afirst drive element on the first axle engages the front track and asecond drive element of the first axle engages the rear track.Similarly, a first drive element on the second axle engages the fronttrack and a second drive element on the second axle engages the reartrack. In this way, two spaced apart drive elements, such as gears 222 aand 222 c, engage the front track 105 and two spaced apart driveelements, such as gears 222 b and 222 d, engage the rear track 110.

The vehicle includes an onboard motor for driving the wheels 220. Morespecifically, the drive motor is operatively connected with the axles torotate the axles 215, 216 which in turn rotates the gears 222 of thewheels.

The vehicle 200 may be powered by an external power supply, such as acontact along the rail that provides the electric power needed to drivethe vehicle. However, in the present instance, the vehicle includes anonboard power source that provides the requisite power for both thedrive motor and the conveyor motor. Additionally, in the presentinstance, the power supply is rechargeable. Although the power supplymay include a power source, such as a rechargeable battery, in thepresent instance, the power supply is made up of one or moreultracapacitors.

During operation, the engagement between the vehicle drive elements 222and the track 100 provide precise control of the position of the vehicle200 along the track. Additionally, since the rear track 110 is a mirrorof the front track 105, the opposing tracks controls the position of theforward wheels 220 a, 220 c relative to the rearward wheels 220 b, 220d. Specifically, the drive surfaces on the front track 105 are alignedwith the drive surfaces on the rear track 110. For instance, if thedrive surfaces 120 are teeth as shown in FIGS. 8 & 10 , the first tooth120 a along the front track 116 aligns with the first tooth 120 b alongthe rear track. In this way, when the front drive element 222 a on theleading axle engages first tooth element 120 a of the front track 105,the rear drive element 222 b on the leading axle 215 simultaneouslyengages first tooth element 120 b on the rear track 110. Similarly, whenthe front drive element 222 c on the trailing axle engages first toothelement 120 a of the front track 105, the rear drive element 222 d onthe trailing axle 215 simultaneously engages first tooth element 120 bon the rear track 110.

Because the drive surfaces of the track 100 tend to impede the driveelements 222 of the vehicle from sliding relative to the track, thepositive engagement between the drive surfaces and the drive elementstends to maintain the vehicle in a proper orientation relative to thetrack. In particular, the aligned drive elements 222 and drive surfaces120 tend to maintain the axles 215, 216 parallel to one another andperpendicular to the direction of travel along the track. Although thevehicles positively engage the track in a manner to limit slippagebetween the vehicle and the track, the drive elements of the vehicle maybecome misaligned over time, causing stress on the vehicle, leading tovehicle wear and/or the vehicles becoming jammed within the track.

To limit wear, the system may incorporate a section for automaticallyreorienting the vehicle relative to the track. For instance, the systemmay include a section that facilitates aligning the drive elements ofthe vehicles with the drive surfaces of the track. The re-orientationsection may have any of a variety of configurations, however, thesection is designed to provide a section of limited slip in whichengagement between the drive elements and the drive surfaces is reducedor discontinued.

Referring now to FIGS. 7-12 , a section for automatically re-orientingthe vehicle relative to the track is designated generally 140. In theillustrated embodiment, the re-orientation assembly 140 is configured toreduce skew between the front side of the vehicle and the rearward sideof the vehicle. For example, one of the front wheels (e.g. wheel 220 a)may be offset from the opposing rearward wheel (e.g. wheel 220 b) sothat the two wheels are not positioned at the same point along thelength of the track. Specifically, the distance from wheel 220 a totooth 120 a may be greater than the distance from wheel 220 b to tooth120 b. Such offset wheels may cause the axle 215 to bend or to becomeangled relative to the direction of travel T. For instance, as discussedabove, in the illustrated embodiment, when the vehicle is properlyoriented, the axles 215, 216 are oriented perpendicular to the directionof travel. When the wheels 220 become offset the axles may bend or skewto an angle that is non-perpendicular to the direction of travel.

The re-orientation section 140 may include one or more segmentsdepending on the configuration of the vehicles 220. In one example, asillustrated in FIG. 8 , the re-orientation section 140 includes a firstsegment 150 and a second segment spaced 160 apart from the firstsegment. Although the spacing between the first and second segments mayvary, the first segment 150 is spaced apart from the second segment 160a distance along the track similar to the spacing between the leadingaxle 215 and the trailing axle 216. In this way, the wheels of thetrailing axle 216 may engage the first segment 150 while the wheels ofthe leading axle 215 engage the second segment 160 (see FIGS. 7-8 ).

Referring to FIGS. 7-12 , the first segment 150 of the re-orientationsection 140 includes a front assembly 152 and an opposing rear assembly154. The front assembly 152 is positioned along the front track 105 andthe rear assembly 154 is positioned along the rear track 110. Asdiscussed further below, the front assembly 152 may be a mirror of therear assembly 154 so that the front assembly and the rear assembly aresubstantially the same. Optionally, the front assembly 152 may beconfigured differently than the rear assembly 154, as discussed furtherbelow.

Referring to FIGS. 7-8 , the first segment 150 includes front assembly152 and rear assembly 154. The second segment 160 includes frontassembly 162 and rear assembly 164. The different segments aredesignated according to the direction of travel of the vehicle. Forinstance, as shown in FIG. 7 , the typical direction of travel for thevehicle is designated by arrow T. When the vehicle travels in directionT, the leading edge of the vehicle is conveyed through the first segment150 of the reorientation assembly 140. As the vehicle continues alongthe path in the direction T, the leading edge is conveyed through thesecond segment 160. However, it should be understood that the placementof the segments of the reorientation assembly 140 may vary dependingupon a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the primarydirection of travel of the vehicles along the track.

As noted above, the first and second segments 150, 160 of reorientationassembly 140 each include a front assembly 152, 162 along the fronttrack 105. Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12 , details of the front assembly162 of the second segment 160 will be described in greater detail. Thefront assembly includes a track section 170. The track section 170 has agenerally c-shaped channel cross-sectional profile. Specifically, abottom wall 180 of the track forms a first wall of the channel and anopposing upper wall opposing the bottom wall forms a second wall. Theupper and lower walls are connected be an elongated web that extendsbetween the upper and lower walls.

The upper wall of the track segment 170 optionally includes a pluralityof surfaces. For instance, the upper wall may include a generally flatguide surface 171 opposing the lower wall and extending substantiallythe entire length of the track segment 170. The guide surface 171 mayform a recess that extends the length of the upper wall. Additionally,the guide surface 171 may be spaced apart from the lower wall 180 adistance similar to the diameter of the guide wheels 224 of the vehiclewheels. The guide wheels have a generally smooth surface that providerolling engagement between the guide wheels and the guide surfaces 171,180.

The upper wall also includes a sliding surface 173 configured tofacilitate sliding between the drive elements 222 of the vehicle and thetrack 100. For instance, the sliding section 173 may be configured toprovide a gap between the outer surface of the drive elements 222 andthe drive surface 120 of the track. The sliding surface 173 is alignedwith the drive surface 120 of the track 100. In this way, the slidingsurface forms a gap between a length of drive surface 120 on one portionof the track and a separate length of drive surface on a second portionspaced apart from the first portion.

For example, referring to FIG. 12 , a first drive surface 172 may beformed on the upper wall at a first end of the track segment 170. Thefirst drive surface 172 is formed similarly to the drive surface 120 ofthe track 100. For instance, the first drive surface 172 may be aplurality of spaced apart teeth that mesh with the gears 222.Additionally, the track segment 170 may include a second drive surface174 formed on the upper wall at a second end of the track segment 170.The second drive surface is formed similarly to the drive surface 120 ofthe track, such as a plurality of spaced apart teeth like the firstdrive surface 172. The second drive surface 174 is spaced apart from thefirst drive surface forming a gap between the two drive surfaces. Thesliding surface 173 extends between the first drive surface 172 and thesecond drive surface 174.

As mentioned above, the sliding surface 173 is configured to facilitatesliding between the track 100 and drive elements 222 of the vehiclewheels 220. For instance, sliding surface 173 may be configured so thatthe sliding surface is spaced apart from the lower wall 170 a distancegreater than the outer diameter of the drive elements 222. For instance,sliding surface 173 may be a smooth planar wall so that the driveelements 222 of the vehicle wheels do not positively engage the slidingsurface. In this way, the drive elements 222 may slide relative to thesliding surface 173.

As described above, the sliding surface 173 of the track segment 170allows a wheel of the vehicle to slide relative to the track. In thisway, the sliding surface facilitates realignment of a wheel on one sideof the track relative to the opposing wheel on the other side of thetrack. For instance, if front wheel 222 a skips one or more teeth in thefront track 105, the front wheel 222 a may become skewed relative to theback wheel 222 b in the rear track 110. More specifically, the wheel atone end of an axle 215 may become offset relative to the wheel at thesecond end of the axle. When one of the wheels is skewed or misalignedrelative to a second wheel, the skew or misalignment may cause excessivewear and/or a jam between the vehicle and the track. As discussedfurther below, the sliding surface 173 allows the vehicle wheels toslide relative to the track to reorient the wheels to reduce skew and/ormisalignment of the vehicle wheels.

The reorientation segment 160 provides an elongated segment in which thedrive surfaces 120 of the track are modified or discontinued so that thedrive elements 222 of the vehicle are disengaged from the driveelements. As shown in FIG. 11 , the reorientation assembly may includeone or more transition section to transition the drive elements of thevehicle from engaging with the drive surfaces to non-engaging and fromnon-engaging to engaging with the drive surfaces. For example, drivesurface 172 is configured to have a first end that substantially matchesthe configuration of the drive surfaces 120 of the track. The second endof the drive surface tapers from the configuration of a full drivesurface to a reduced drive surface and/or to no drive surface. Forexample, in the illustrated embodiment, the drive surfaces are teeth,such as a rack and the drive surface 172 tapers from a full-sized toothto a reduced height tooth to no tooth. In this way the meshing betweenthe gear teeth 222 on the vehicle 200 and the drive surface 172progressively disengages. Similarly, the drive surface 174 tapers in thereverse direction to progressively mesh with the gear teeth 222 of thevehicle. Specifically, the second drive surface 174 tapers from eitherno teeth or a reduced tooth height to a full tooth height that matchesthe configuration of the drive surfaces 120 of the track 100.

Although the transition sections 172, 174 are illustrated as beingintegral with the track section 170, it should be understood that thetransition sections 172, 174 may be formed on adjacent sections of thetrack 100 so that the sliding surface 173 extends further along thetrack segment 170.

Optionally, the reorientation assembly 140 may further include asecondary reorienting device. For instance, the reorientation assemblymay include a centering element for limiting skew of the vehiclerelative to the desired direction of travel. An example of such acentering device is illustrated in FIGS. 11-12 in the form of adeflector 195 configured to deflect the vehicle toward the desireddirection of travel. The deflector 195 may be any of a variety ofelements designed to apply lateral force on the side of the vehicle.

In the present instance, the deflector 195 includes one or more biasingelements that urge the vehicle toward the centerline between the frontand rearward tracks 105, 110. Specifically, the deflector includes apivotable lever that pivots about a pivot pin 198. The pivot pin 198extends through a bore hole 196 in the deflector 195. In this way, thepivot pin 198 forms a pivot axis so that the deflector pivots about anaxis that is preferably transverse to the direction of travel T (SeeFIGS. 7-10 ).

The deflector 195 projects through an aperture or window 165 in the webof the track segment 160. In the present instance, a biasing element,such as a spring 197 biases the deflector 165 toward the center of theaisle 35. In other words, the deflector 165 is biased to urge againstthe side of the vehicle 200. In this way, as the vehicle passes throughthe reorientation section, the deflector 195 may reorient the vehicletoward the center of the aisle. Additionally, referring to FIGS. 8 & 10, an opposing deflector 195 may be positioned in the rearward track 110so that the opposing deflector urges against the opposite side of thevehicle 200. In this way the two opposing deflectors urge the two sidesof the vehicle toward the center of the aisle. For instance, as shown inFIG. 8 , the deflector 195 in the front assembly 162 urges against thefront side of the vehicle and the deflector 195 in the rear assembly 164urges against the rearward side of the vehicle. Preferably, the opposingdeflectors are balanced so that they provide substantially similarbiasing forces, thereby urging the vehicle toward the center of theaisle to guide or reorient the center of the vehicle toward the centerof the aisle.

As noted above, the reorientation segment 162 may include a housing 190that houses the track segment 170 and the deflector 195. For instance,the housing may be a C-shaped channel having a width and depth largeenough that the track segment can fit within the housing. As shown inFIG. 12 , the track segment 170 may have an upper and lower lip that fitover the outer edges 191 of the housing 190. The track segment may befixedly affixed to the housing, such as by releasable fastener (e.g.threaded fasteners) or by permanent means, such as welding, epoxy oradhesive.

The housing is optionally deep enough to provide clearance for thedeflector 195. Specifically, all, or substantially all of the deflector195 may fit within the housing below the track so that the deflectordoes not substantially protrude into the track. In this way, thedeflector 195 may be deflected or retracted into the housing 190 out ofthe path of the vehicle.

The pivot axis of the deflector 195 is optionally positioned below thesurface of the web that connects the upper and lower legs of the tracksegment. For instance, in the present instance, the pivot axis 196 ispositioned in a gap between the track segment 170 and the housing 190.In particular, the pivot pin 198 is positioned below the track segmentso that pivot pin does not extend through the track segment.

Optionally, the deflector 195 includes a biasing element 197 biasing thedeflector inwardly toward the center of the aisle 35. FIG. 12illustrates an exemplary biasing element in the form of a coil spring.The deflector may be configured to cooperate with the coil spring, suchas a post that extends into the coil spring or a recess that receives afirst end of the coil spring. The second end of the spring may bearagainst the interior wall of the housing. Alternatively, an aperture maybe formed in the wall of the housing and a cover 199 may overlie theaperture in the housing. The biasing element 197 may bear against theinterior surface of the cover. The cover 197 may be releasably orsubstantially permanently connected with the housing 190.

The reorientation assembly 140 may include one or more reorientationsegments 152 as described above. For instance, as illustrated in FIGS. 8and 10 , the second reorientation section 160 may include a frontreorientation segment 162 along the front track 105 and a rearreorientation segment 164 opposing the front orientation segment 162.The rear reorientation segment 164 may be configured substantiallysimilarly to front reorientation segment 160 with the rear reorientationsegment being substantially a mirror of the front reorientation segment.

The reorientation segment may include one or more reorientationelements. For instance, front reorientation assembly 162 of the secondsegment 160 includes both the sliding surface 173 and the deflector 195.Referring to FIGS. 8 and 10 , the first reorientation segment 150 maysimilarly have both a sliding surface for reorienting the vehicle and asecondary reorientation element, such as the deflector. Alternatively,the first reorientation segment 150 may include a track segmentconfigured similarly to track segment 170, but the first segment 150 mayomit the deflector 195.

Referring again to FIGS. 8 and 10 , the first reorientation segment 150may include a front section 152 that includes a sliding surface 173 anda rear section 154 that includes a track section having driving surfacesopposing the sliding surface 173. Specifically, rear assembly 154 of thefirst reorientation segment 150 includes a track having drive surfaces120 along substantially the entire length of the assembly. The drivesurfaces 120 provide a positive drive mechanism through the entirelength of the first segment.

In this way, the reorientation assembly may be configured in a number ofvariations that permit various elements of the vehicles to sliderelative to the track at different areas of the reorientation assembly.As described above, the first reorientation segment 150 has a firstsliding surface on one side and drive surfaces on the opposing portionof the track so that the front wheel of the vehicle may slide relativeto the track while the rear wheel remains engaged with the track.

Additionally, the second reorientation segment 160 has a first slidingsurface on one side and a second sliding surface on the opposing side sothat both the front and rear wheels may slide relative to the track atthe same time.

Optionally, the second reorientation segment 160 is spaced apart fromthe first reorientation segment 150 a distance similar to the distancebetween the leading axle 215 and the trailing axle 216. In this way, thereorientation assembly 140 may allow three of the four corners of thevehicle to slide relative to the track 100 while the fourth corner ofthe vehicle remains engaged with the track. For instance, as describedabove, when the leading wheels 220 a,b engage the second reorientationsegment 160, the drive elements 222 a, 222 b are aligned with thesliding surfaces 173 so that the drive elements 222 a, 222 b aredisengaged from the track. While the leading wheels engage the secondreorientation segment, the trailing wheels 220 c,d engage the firstreorientation segment 150 so that front drive element 222 c is alignedwith the sliding surface of the front segment while the rear driveelement 222 d is aligned with the drive surfaces. In this way, the driveelement of a single wheel of the vehicle engages the drive surfaces ofthe track to drive the vehicle through the reorientation section whilethe remaining wheels 222 a,222 b,222 c are disengaged from the drivesurfaces of the track 100.

It should be understood that the configuration of the reorientationassembly 140 may be varied depending on a variety of factors. Forinstance, as noted above, it may be desirable to incorporate asupplemental or secondary reorientation element such as deflector 195into one or more of the reorientation segments. However, thereorientation assembly 140 may be configured without such secondaryreorientation elements. Similarly, in the foregoing example, thereorientation assembly includes three segments that allow three wheelsof the vehicle to simultaneously disengage from the drive surfaces ofthe track.

It may be desirable to reduce the number of segments that allow thewheels to disengage from the drive surfaces of the track. For instance,the reorientation assembly may include two segments that allow thewheels to simultaneously disengage the drive surfaces of the track. Inone example, the two segments may oppose one another so that the twowheels that simultaneously disengage are on the same axle.Alternatively, the two segments may be spaced apart along the length ofthe track so that the two wheels that simultaneously disengage arespaced apart along the length of the vehicle. For instance, the twosegments may be spaced apart a distance similar to the spacing betweenthe leading axle 215 and the trailing axle 216.

Referring now to FIGS. 13-16 , an alternate embodiment of the skewcorrection assembly or reorientation assembly 440 for use in thematerial handling apparatus 10 is illustrated. The alternatereorientation assembly 440 is similar to the reorientation assembly 140illustrated in FIGS. 7-12 . However, as described below, the alternatereorientation assembly 440 may include an alterative secondaryreorientation element 485. As described above, the reorientationassembly 140 in FIGS. 7-12 may include an optional deflector 195 thatoperates as a secondary reorientation element by deflecting the vehiclein an attempt to center the vehicle between the front track 105 and therear track 110. The alternate reorientation assembly 440 comprises aplurality of track elements that are substantially similar to the systemillustrated in FIGS. 7-12 . However, the system in FIGS. 13-16 includesa stationary element that provides a secondary reorientation element 485rather than the movable deflector 195.

As shown in FIGS. 13-16 the alternate reorientation assembly 440 allowsthree wheels of the vehicle to simultaneously slide along the track. Forinstance, the first reorientation segment 450 may include a frontassembly 452 and a rear assembly 456. The front assembly 452 may includea drive surface 455 similar to the drive surface 120 of rear assembly154 in FIGS. 7-12 . In contrast, the rear assembly 494 may include asliding surface 466 similar to assembly 164 in FIGS. 7-12 . Similarly,the second reorientation segment 460 may include opposing front and rearassemblies 462, 464 configured substantially similar to rear assembly164 so that the assembly has a sliding surface 466.

More specifically, the three assemblies, 456, 462 and 464 may beconfigured substantially similar to one another. Each assembly mayinclude a sliding section 466 formed in the track similar to slidingsurface 173 so that the vehicle wheel can slide along the slidingsection. Additionally, similar to the assembly shown in FIG. 12 ,assemblies 456, 462, 464 may each include transition areas similar totransition elements 172 and 174 in which the track segment transitionsfrom a drive element to the sliding surface or from the sliding surfaceto the drive elements.

The alternate secondary reorientation element 485 includes an elongatedguide or fence. The fence 485 includes a generally vertical wallextending along the inner edge of the track. In FIGS. 13-14 the fence isillustrated as being attached along the inner edge of the front track105, however, it should be understood that the fence may be positionedalong the rear track instead.

FIG. 16 illustrates a sectional view of the front assembly 460. Thefence 485 projects upwardly from the inner edge of the track forming alateral stop impeding lateral displacement of the wheel relative to thetrack. In this instance, lateral displacement is horizontal displacementthat is transverse the direction of travel.

The fence is positioned so that the fence is spaced apart from the innersurface of the track a distance similar to the thickness of the wheel220. For instance, the distance from the inner surface of the fence 485to the inner surface of the track is less than approximately 120% of thewidth of the wheel 220. Preferably, the distance from the inner surfaceof the fence 485 to the inner surface of the track is less thanapproximately 110% of the width of the wheel 220. In this way, the fenceand the inner surface of the track form guides that constrain lateralmovement of the wheel transverse the direction of travel T. Similarly,the fence and the inner surface of the track form guides that constrainthe ability of the wheel to twist or skew about a vertical axis.

The fence may be formed as a generally L-shaped structure having a lowerleg 487 forming a bracket for attaching the fence to the track. In thisway, the lower leg 487 may be fixedly connected with a lower surface ofthe housing 490 of the track.

Referring to FIG. 14 , the fence 485 extends along the length of thereorientation assembly 440. The fence 485 may be a single element or aplurality of elements may be positioned along the length of thereorientation assembly 440. For instance, as shown in FIGS. 13-15 , thefence may be a single guide extending along both the first reorientationsegment 450 and the second reorientation segment 460. However, the fencemay be separate guides, such as a first fence positioned along the firstreorientation segment 450 and a second fence that is spaced apart fromthe first fence and positioned along the second reorientation segment460. Either way, preferably the fence is elongated having a length atleast as long as the shorter of the first and second reorientationsegments 450, 460. Further still, the fence may have a length that is atleast as long as the length of both the first reorientation segment andthe second reorientation segment combined. Accordingly, the fence 485 issufficiently long to impede lateral displacement of the vehicle 200while three of the four wheels are disengaged from the drive surface 120of the track 100.

Method of Use

The system 10 provides an apparatus for automatically delivering and/orsorting a plurality of items using a plurality of vehicles 200. Itemsmay be scanned at an input station 20 and loaded onto the vehicles at aloading station adjacent the input station. From the loading station,the vehicles travel vertically and horizontally along a track to one ofa variety of destination areas, such as one or a plurality of sort bins40. At the appropriate sort bin 40, a vehicle 200 may transfer an iteminto the sort bin. After delivering the item, the vehicle continuesalong the track to return to the loading station to receive anotheritem. The vehicle may continue to loop around the track picking up itemsat the loading station and delivering items to the sort bins.

As the vehicles move along the track, the vehicles positively engage thetrack. In particular, the track comprises a plurality of drive surfacesand the vehicles comprise a plurality of drive elements that mate withthe drive surfaces of the track. The mating drive elements and drivesurfaces impede the vehicle wheels from sliding along the track relativeto the drive surfaces.

As the vehicles travel along the track, the vehicles may be reorientedrelative to the track as the vehicles move along the track. In otherwords, the vehicles are reoriented while the vehicles move. The vehiclesmay be reoriented to correct a variety of potential misalignmentsbetween the vehicles and the track that can lead to excess wear orjamming. For instance, the vehicles may be reoriented to reduce oreliminate skew between wheels on opposing sides of the track. Forexample, the drive elements of a wheel on a first side of the vehiclemay disengage the drive surface on the track while the drive element ona second side of the vehicle remains engaged with the drive surfaces onthe track. When the drive elements of the wheel on the first sidedisengage the drive surfaces of the track, the wheel on the first sideis free to move relative to the track, thereby reducing misalignment ofthe wheel on the first side relative to the wheel on the second side.

Additionally, the vehicles may be reoriented by simultaneouslydisengaging the drive elements of multiple wheels from the drivesurfaces of multiple segments of the track. In this way, the driveelements of multiple wheels are free to move relative to the track whilethe drive elements of at least one wheel remain positively engaged withthe track to drive the vehicle forward.

For example, the vehicles 200 may pass through a reorientation section140 as the vehicles travel along the track 100. The leading wheels 220a, 220 b may pass through a first segment 150 of the reorientationsection while the trailing wheels 220 c, 220 d engage the teeth 120 inthe forward and rear tracks 105, 110. As the leading wheels 220 a, 220 bpass through the first segment 150, drive elements, such as gear 222 aof the first wheel 220 a, are displaced along the sliding surface 173 oftrack 170. As the gear 222 a is displaced along the sliding surface 173,the gear 222 a is disengaged from positive engagement with the track. Ifthe front wheel 220 a is skewed relative to the rear wheel 220 b, thefront wheel will tend to reorient into alignment with the rear wheelwhen the gear 222 a of the front wheel is disengaged from the trackalong the sliding surface 173. If the front wheel 220 a is aligned withthe rear wheel 220 b, the leading axle 215 will tend to be oriented in adesired orientation, such as normal to the direction of travel T. If thefront wheel is misaligned from the rear wheel on the leading axle 215,the leading axle may deflect or skew relative to the desiredorientation. As the leading edge of the vehicle passes through the firstorientation section, the deflection or skew of the leading axle maydisplace the front wheel 220 a relative to the rear wheel 220 b when thefront wheel is released while the rear wheel remains engaged.

After passing through the first reorientation segment 150, the leadingwheels 220 a, 220 b reengages the drive surfaces 120 of the track sothat the leading wheels positively engage the track. The vehiclecontinues to move forwardly so that the leading wheels move through thesecond reorientation segment 160. As the leading wheels move through thesecond reorientation segment 160, the rear wheels move through the firstreorientation segment 150. In the present embodiment, the first andsecond reorientation segments are configured so that three of the fourdrive wheels 220 disengage the drive surfaces of the track while asingle wheel remains engaged with the drive surfaces to drive thevehicle forwardly. In this way, three of the four wheels of the vehicleare released to correct skew or misalignment between one or more wheelson the first side of the vehicle and one or more wheels on the secondside of the vehicle while also correcting skew or misalignment of one ormore of the leading wheels relative to one or more of the trailingwheels.

After the trailing wheels 220 c, 220 d pass through the firstreorientation segment 150, the vehicle continues forward so that thetrailing wheels enter the second reorientation segment 150. In thesecond reorientation segment both trailing wheels 220 c, 220 d disengagefrom the driving surface allowing both wheels to slide or translaterelative to the track. When the trailing wheels 220 c, 220 d disengagefrom the drive surface of the track, the leading wheels 220 a, 220 bpositively engage the track to drive the vehicle along the track.

The method may also include the step of impeding twisting and/or lateraldisplacement of the vehicle as the vehicle passes through thereorientation assembly. Specifically, according to one embodiment, themethod may include the step of simultaneously applying a force to theside of the vehicle as the vehicle passes through the reorientationassembly. In particular, forces of similar magnitude and oppositedirection may be applied to the two sides of the vehicle, urging thevehicle toward the center of the aisle. For instance, as describedabove, the second reorientation segment 160 may include deflectors 195,a first deflector positioned along the front track 105 and the seconddeflector positioned along the rear track. The first deflector providesa force against the side of the vehicle in a direction toward the reartrack. Similarly, the second deflector 195 provides a force against theopposite side of the vehicle in a direction toward the front track. Theforces of the deflectors 195 may be provided by biasing elements so thatthe deflectors provide generally equal and opposite forces transversethe direction of travel T.

Alternatively, rather than a displaceable element for applying lateralforces to the vehicle, the reorientation assembly may include a fixedguide or stop that limits lateral displacement and/or twisting of thevehicle. Specifically, as noted above, the method may include releasinga plurality of vehicle wheels from engagement with drive surfaces toallow the plurality of wheels to slide relative to the track while oneor more wheels remain engaged with a drive surface. The method mayinclude the step of constraining lateral displacement of the vehiclewhile the plurality of wheels are disengaged from the drive surface. Inone embodiment, the method includes the step of releasing three wheelsfrom drive surfaces simultaneously while maintaining a wheel inengagement with a drive surface. While the three wheels are disengagedfrom the drive surfaces, the method includes the step of engaging one ormore of the three released wheels with a stop to impede lateraldisplacement of the released wheels.

The method may also include the step of re-engaging one or more of thethree released wheels with drive surfaces. Additionally, the method mayinclude the step of releasing the one or more wheels from the stop afterthe step of re-engaging.

In view of the foregoing, the present invention may provide a system inwhich a plurality of vehicles move a long a track to deliver items to aplurality of locations. Optionally, the track may include a loop and thevehicles may circulate around the loop. The track may include areorientation assembly that reorients the vehicles relative to drivesurfaces on the track. The method may include the step of repeatedlyengaging and disengaging the drive surfaces of select wheels of thevehicle while repeatedly engaging and disengaging one or more selectwheels of the vehicle. The track is configured to allow the wheels toslide relative to the track when the wheels are disengaged from thedrive surfaces. In this way, the drive elements on the wheels aredisplaced relative to the drive surfaces of the track to align the driveelements with the drive surfaces.

In the foregoing description, the reorientation assembly 140, 440 isdescribed as having two separate segments 150, 160 and 450, 460.However, it should be understood that the number of segments in thereorientation assembly may vary. For example, the reorientation assembly140 may include just a single reorientation segment 150. In such anembodiment, the leading wheels 220 a, 220 b are reoriented when theypass through reorientation segment 150 and the trailing wheels 220 c and220 d will similarly be reoriented when they pass through thereorientation segment. In such an embodiment, the front assembly 152 andrear assembly 154 of the reorientation segment 150 may both includesliding surfaces. Accordingly, when the leading wheels 220 move throughthe reorientation segment both wheels disengage the drive surfaces ofthe track while the trailing wheels 220 c, 220 d remain engaged with thedrive surfaces of the track to drive the vehicle forwardly. After movingthrough the reorientation segment 150, the leading wheels 220 a, 220 bre-engage the drive surfaces of the track to drive the vehicle forwardwhile the trailing wheels 220 c, 220 d move through the reorientationsegment and disengage the drive surfaces of the track.

As described above, the number of reorientation segments and theposition of such segments may vary depending on numerous variables,including but not limited to the configuration of the vehicles, thenumber of wheels on the vehicles, the configuration of the drivesurfaces of the track, and the configuration of the drive elements onthe vehicles. Accordingly, it should be understood that thereorientation assembly 140, 440 is not limited to the particular numberof reorientation segments and/or the configuration of the reorientationsegments described above.

Similarly, in the above description the reorientation assembly 140, 440may include a secondary reorientation element, such as deflectors 195 orfence 485. The secondary reorientation element 195, 485 may form part ofthe second reorientation segment 160, 460 whereas the firstreorientation segment 150, 450 may not include deflectors 195 or guide485. Accordingly, it should be understood that the number and positionof the secondary reorientation element may be varied based on a numberof variables. Additionally, it should be understood that thereorientation assembly 140, 440 may be configured without any secondaryreorientation elements, such as the deflectors 195 or fence 485.

The methods described herein may be implemented in software, hardware,or a combination thereof, in different embodiments. In addition, theorder of methods may be changed, and various elements may be added,reordered, combined, omitted, or otherwise modified. All examplesdescribed herein are presented in a non-limiting manner. Variousmodifications and changes may be made as would be obvious to a personskilled in the art having benefit of this disclosure. Realizations inaccordance with embodiments have been described in the context ofparticular embodiments. These embodiments are meant to be illustrativeand not limiting. Many variations, modifications, additions, andimprovements are possible. Accordingly, plural instances may be providedfor components described herein as a single instance. Boundaries betweenvarious components, operations and data stores are somewhat arbitrary,and particular operations are illustrated in the context of specificillustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionality areenvisioned and may fall within the scope of claims that follow. Finally,structures and functionality presented as discrete components in theexample configurations may be implemented as a combined structure orcomponent. These and other variations, modifications, additions, andimprovements may fall within the scope of embodiments as defined in theclaims that follow.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention,other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised withoutdeparting from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof isdetermined by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for sorting items, comprising: a plurality of sort locations for receiving items arranged such that an aisle is formed between the plurality of sort locations; a plurality of vehicles operable within the aisle to deliver items to the sort locations wherein the vehicles comprise a first drive element and a second drive element; a track assembly disposed within the aisle for guiding the vehicles along a vertical loop to the sort locations, comprising: a first track having a plurality of first engagement elements configured to cooperate with the first drive element of the vehicles; a second track spaced apart from the first track having a plurality of second engagement elements configured to cooperate with the second drive elements of the vehicles; wherein the second track comprises a reorientation section configured to release engagement between the second engagement elements and the second drive element while the first drive element remains engaged with the first engagement elements to allow the second drive elements to slide along the second track.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reorientation section has a first end adjacent a plurality of the second engagement elements and a second end adjacent a plurality of the second engagement elements so that the second drive element engages the second engagement elements prior to engagement with the reorientation section and after engagement with the reorientation section.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second drive elements comprise gears.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first and second engagement elements comprise teeth formed in the track that mesh with the gears.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a retainer for retaining engagement between the second drive element and the second track while the second drive element passes through the reorientation section.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the retainer comprises a guide or a fence positioned along the reorientation section.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vehicles each comprise a transfer mechanism for transferring an item between the vehicle and one of the sort locations.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vehicles move along a first horizontal direction and a vertical direction as they move along the vertical loop, wherein the transfer mechanism is operable to transfer items along a second horizontal direction that is transverse the first horizontal direction and the vertical direction.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vertical loop is a variable length closed loop having a common return leg so that all of the vehicles travel along the return leg, wherein the reorientation section is positioned along the common return leg.
 10. An apparatus for sorting items, comprising: a plurality of sort locations for receiving items arranged such that an aisle is formed between the plurality of sort locations; a plurality of vehicles operable within the aisle to deliver items to the sort locations wherein the vehicles comprise a first drive element and a second drive element; a track assembly disposed within the aisle for guiding the vehicles along a vertical loop to the sort locations, comprising: a first track having a plurality of first engagement elements configured to cooperate with the first drive element of the vehicles; a second track spaced apart from the first track having a plurality of second engagement elements configured to cooperate with the second drive elements of the vehicles; wherein the second track comprises means for releasing engagement between the second engagement elements and the second drive element while the first drive element remains engaged with the first engagement elements to allow the second drive elements to slide along the second track.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the second track is spaced apart from the first track to form an aisle between the first track and the second track and wherein the vehicle moves within the aisle.
 12. The apparatus of claim 10 comprising means for impeding lateral displacement of the first or second drive element as the vehicle passes through the means for releasing engagement.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the means for impeding lateral displacement is configured to impede lateral displacement as the first element passes through the means for releasing engagement.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the means for impeding lateral displacement comprises a fence positioned along an edge of the front track or the rear track. 